DUSHANBE, July 28, 2009, Asia-Plus — We have brought mostly young talented and ambitious players to participate in today’s friendly match with Regar-TadAZ, Renat Bilyaletdinov, the sports head of the Football Club (FC) Lokomotiv Moscow, remarked at a press conference in Dushanbe today.
According to him, today’s match is a kind of training for young football players for the upcoming match of the second round of Russia’s championship against Rostov.
The friendly match between Regar-TadAZ and Moscow’s Lokomotiv is taking place at the Dushanbe central stadium today, at 5:00 pm. This match is planned in the frame of training of Regar-TadAZ for the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) President’s Cup finals that will be held in Tursunzoda in September this year.
As it had been reported earlier, Tajikistan will host finals of AFC President’s Cup 2009. Metallurg Stadium, the home of Regar-TadAz, will stage the final stages of the AFC President’s Cup 2009.
The competition comprises two semi-finals and a final for the best of AFC’s third-tier club sides. Regar will be attempting to defend their title against Ashgabat, of Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan’s Dordoi-Dynamo and Pakistan WAPDA. The tournament, in Tursunzoda, is scheduled to be held from September 25-27.
The AFC President”s Cup is an annual international association football competition between domestic clubs sides run by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Generally, clubs which represent each nation are the current champions of their domestic football leagues.
FC Lokomotiv Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow. Lokomotiv Moscow won the Russian premier League two times and the Russian Cup a record of five times. Founded on August 12, 1923 as Club of the October Revolution, it was renamed Kazanka (Moskovskaya-Kazanskaya Zh.D) in 1931, and eventually Lokomotiv in 1936.
Lokomotiv won the Russian Premier League in 2002 (ending Spartak Moscow domination) and in 2004, the USSR Cup in 1936 and 1957, and the Russian Cup in 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2007. The club was the runner-up in 1959, 1995, 1999, 2000 and 2001, and finished third in 1994, 1998, 2005 and 2006. Lokomotiv was the Russian Super Cup holder in 2003 and 2005.
